Risk and protective factors for new onset binge eating, low weight, and self-harm symptoms in over 25,000 individuals in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with poor mental health, including increases in eating disorder and self-harm symptoms. We investigated risk and protective factors for new onset of these symptoms during the pandemic. Method: Data were from the COVID-19 Psychiatry and Neurological Genetics study and the Repeated Assessment of Mental health in Pandemics Study (n = 45,058). Exposures were socio-demographic characteristics, lifetime psychiatric disorder, and COVID-related variables, including SARS-CoV-2 infection/illness with COVID-19. We identified four sub-samples of participants without pre-pandemic experience of our outcomes: binge eating (n = 18,172), low weight (n = 19,148), suicidal and/or self-harm ideation (n = 12,650), and self-harm (n = 20,266). Participants reported on our outcomes at frequent intervals (fortnightly to monthly). We fitted four logistic regression models to identify factors associated with new onset of our outcomes. Results: Within each subsample, new onset was reported by: 16.9% for binge eating, 8.9% for low weight, 26.6% for suicidal and/or self-harm ideation, and 3.3.% for self-harm. Shared risk factors included having a lifetime psychiatric disorder, not being in paid employment, and higher pandemic worry scores. Conversely, infection with SARS-CoV-2/illness with COVID-19 was linked to lower odds of all outcomes. Other factors were associated with one outcome, such as pandemic-related loneliness with suicidal and/or self-harm ideation. Discussion: Overall, we detected shared risk factors that may drive the comorbidity between eating disorders and self-harm. Subgroups of individuals with these risk factors may require more frequent monitoring during future pandemics.

The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) United Kingdom

“…During early 2021, Professor Gerome Breen, alongside other experts and volunteers, had several meetings with the UK government to discuss eating disorder research and treatment needs to foster policy changes. Initial results from the COPING study, which included a subset of EDGI UK survey participants, suggested that individuals with psychiatric disorders and those who were more worried about the pandemic were more likely to experience new onset of binge eating or low weight during the pandemic (H. L. Davies et al, 2022). Other findings indicated that being female, younger, or unemployed/a student were linked with experiencing worsening depression, anxiety, or PTSD symptoms during the pandemic (Young et al, 2021).…”

“…As a recontactable database, researchers can submit proposals for participant recontact and access de-identified data for their own research projects. During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants were invited to take part in the COVID-19 Psychiatry and Neurological Genetics (COPING) study, which began at the first national lockdown to monitor the effect of the pandemic on mental health and in which >900 EDGI UK survey participants took part (H. L. Davies et al, 2022; Young et al, 2021). As of 2022, EDGI UK is part of the UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC), a national collaborative effort for collating and harmonising health data to support longitudinal research.…”